State Political Correspondent for The Age

Premier Ted Baillieu could be voted out at the 2014 state election. Photo: Arsineh Houspian

Premier Ted Baillieu will come under renewed pressure to lift his, and the government's, performance following a poll that puts the opposition Labor Party in an election-winning position and Labor leader Daniel Andrews as preferred premier.

A Channel 7 News/ReachTEL phone poll released on Sunday night found Labor led the Coalition on the primary vote, with the ALP attracting 36.8 per cent, the Coalition 34.4 per cent and the Greens 12 per cent. Preference flows would deliver a Labor victory.

And despite controversy last week involving Bob Katter's Australian Party and two of its candidates' comments on homosexuality, the new party is more popular than the Nationals, attracting 4.4 per cent of the vote, compared with the Nationals' 3.5 per cent.

Just over half the respondents said they were worse off under the Baillieu government, with 39.2 per cent saying they were the same and just 9.9 per cent saying they were better off.

Only a quarter believed Mr Baillieu's performance was very good or good, compared with 45 per cent who believe he is doing a poor or very poor job.

The robotic phone poll of 1164 people was taken on Friday night. The results are likely to add to simmering leadership speculation within Liberal ranks.

Mr Baillieu holds government by just one seat and, if a result like this were replicated in an election, Labor would win easily.

The next state election is not until November 2014.

128 comments

Perhaps if the Baillieu government did something of value for the people of Victoria his government would not be judged so harshly.

Commenter

J. Fraser

Location

Queensland

Date and time

January 28, 2013, 8:36AM

You mean like waste billions on a water factory that we don't need, a water pipe we don't need, a train ticket system that doesn't work or a food market in whoop whoop. Sorry, that's been done and there is no money left.

Commenter

Pete Woos

Date and time

January 28, 2013, 8:59AM

Perhaps if the previous state Labor government had not left such a financial mess, then Ted's government would have been able to do more.

Short memories, people.Billions wasted on the overpriced desal plant, Myki cost blowouts, police and public service computer networks, rampant corruption in Labor councils.

I cannot believe that voters will forgive Labor's incompetence.

Commenter

JohnB

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

January 28, 2013, 9:09AM

@Pete Woos...you won't be saying that when we actually need the water!

And you make comment as if the previous Liberal governments have done a great job? What a short memory you have? Selling off schools and hospitals and letting your mate do it for you (Ted selling for Kennett).

At least a Labor government put people first, before their rich mates.....and the reason Labor have to spend when they get in to power, is because the Liberal do nothing for the people and everything for their rich mates and that is fact!!!

Commenter

Facts Vs Fiction

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

January 28, 2013, 9:17AM

Pete Woos,

The argument that there is no money left is nonsense. The Labor government ran budget surpluses every year, while cutting state taxes by more than $2billion as a percentage of State Gross Product and rebuilding services and infrastructure. Think the best-staffed primary schools in the state’ history and the new Women’s Hospital for example.

The Baillieu government inherited a debt of only $12 billion, which it is going to double to $23 billion.

Commenter

Chris Curtis

Date and time

January 28, 2013, 9:28AM

@JohnB

In reality, the last Labor budget (2010) managed to scrape together a modest $500m surplus, despite costs both self-inflicted and from the GFC. As they say, Google is your friend.

Commenter

More facts

Date and time

January 28, 2013, 9:34AM

You can add, the not so fast rail line that cost about 10 times the original estimate. Just like any of Labors project they cost many time more than the original estimate. Like our local Lynbrook railway station was quoted without electricity. The fast rail they forget about one bridge. And people want them back. As for them having surpluses, that came from bringing receipts forward with creative accounting and it was going to catch up with them.

Commenter

Mal

Location

Cranbourne

Date and time

January 28, 2013, 9:52AM

@Fact vs Fiction - "At least a Labor government put people first, before their rich mates". Hahaha, people who believe Labor acts "for battlers" have the wool completely over their eyes. How many people in power in Unions and Labor politics decide to allocate the excess wages they earn to the "poor workers", and how many decide to pocket their earnings? Do you realise how many males in union heavy industries are earning upwards of $150,000 a year with no education because of Labor? To many white collar Liberal voters struggling on far lesser wages they have worked incredibly hard to earn, notions of "Labor battlers" were thrown out the door years ago.

Commenter

SJ

Date and time

January 28, 2013, 10:06AM

oh, came on, baills criminilised swearing !

now, when i go out, i never hear anyone swear.... LOL

Commenter

thomas vesely

Date and time

January 28, 2013, 10:27AM

Victoria is still suffering from Labor pains!Funny how people forget the mismanaged Bracks/Brumby years.